The Busy Tummy Adventure

Read-aloud note

Read slowly, soften your voice near the end, and leave a small pause before the final goodnight line.

Story

Take a bite of a yummy banana. Chew, chew, chew! Your teeth squish it into tiny, mushy bits. Have you ever wondered where that banana goes after you swallow? Down, down it slides, like a little slide at the park, into your tummy!

Your tummy is like a warm, squishy bag inside you. When the banana lands there, your tummy gives it a big squeezy hug and mixes it all around, like stirring soup in a pot. It squishes the banana into a soft, runny mush. So your tummy is a tiny food-mixer that works all by itself!

Now guess what happens next. Does the mushy banana just sit there? No! It travels through a long, curly tube, all coiled up like a sleepy snake or a garden hose. Here is the wow part: that tube inside you is longer than your whole bed, but it folds up small to fit inside your tummy! As the mush slides through, your body grabs the good stuff to help you run, jump, and grow big.

Try this right now: put your hand flat on your tummy after lunch. Stay very quiet. Do you feel little gurgles and bumps? That is your tummy working hard, mixing your food! Some kids think food fills us up like blocks in a box, but really it gets soaked up to feed every part of you.

Next time you eat a snack, remember the banana adventure: chew it, swallow it, and your tummy hugs and mixes it so your body can grow. Your busy tummy is working even when you are playing or sleeping. Pat your tummy and say, "Thank you, busy tummy, for helping me grow!"

Scenes

Chew and Swallow

Take a bite of a yummy banana. Chew, chew, chew! Down it slides like a little slide at the park, all the way into your tummy.

The Tummy Hug

Your tummy is a warm, squishy bag inside you. It gives the banana a big squeezy hug and mixes it all around, like stirring soup in a pot.

The Long Curly Tube

Now guess what happens next! The mush travels through a long, curly tube, coiled up like a sleepy snake. The wow part: it is longer than your whole bed, but folds up small inside you!

Feel It Gurgle

Try this now: put your hand flat on your tummy and stay very quiet. Do you feel little gurgles and bumps? That is your busy tummy working hard, mixing your food!

Thank You, Busy Tummy

Chew it, swallow it, and your tummy hugs and mixes it so your body can grow. Pat your tummy and say, "Thank you, busy tummy, for helping me grow!"